Monday, June 26, 2006

The Hidden Meaning of Haditha

It's ironic how the only time an Iraqi means anything to the American press is when he is killed. When he is killed by insurgents, he is remembered only as a sub-human contribution to body-count figures. Only when he is allegedy killed in cold blood by American troops does his life have any meaning to the American mediocracy. We only need ask John Murtha, the god-like expert, on anything military, and the truth will be found!!!When Iraqis are killed by Sunni insurgents or Shia' militias, their deaths are represented by the American news media as (1) a fleeting, one-time report (2) simple body counts, and (3) supposed evidence that the United States is about to be toppled by the gigantic and well-oiled insurgency. When the smallest allegation is put forth that American soldiers have not followed their rules of engagement, however, that same news media generates a swimming pool of self-salivation.

Congressman John "Haditha" Murtha, who on a regular basis brings ever greater embarrassment to the Marines for his having been one, is now being considered as a witness in the Haditha case for both releasing and blowing out of proportion information that will make more difficult to conduct fairly the trials of several Marines currently being held in the brig at Camp Pendleton, California. That's okay, though isn't it? After all, the most important point is not to give the Marines fair trials, it would seem. Rather, Democrats and mediocrats bent on the destruction of George W. Bush will shrink at no foul deed to get the troops home--except vote in favor of a resolution asking for such when it may hurt their reelection chances.

Meanwhile, here are three other stories you won't hear much about, as they do not further the mediocratic wisdom that it is important that the US fail in Iraq.

First: Remember way, way back a couple of weeks ago when the Wicked Witch (aka. Abu Mousab al Zarqawi) was killed? I don't either, because the only news coverage there has been on the story is to claim that the documents found on the premises claiming that Coalition Forces were gaining the upper hand were fakes.

Second: Remember way, way back last week when American soldiers Kristian Menchaca and Thomas L. Tucker were brutally tortured and murdered by al Qaeda? The only thing most people remember about this is that it signalled a vast resurgence of al Qaeda strength shortly after the death of the Wicked Witch. Nothing else was reported, because American soldiers do not qualify in mediocratic wisdom circles as victims. It's good to have bloggers like this one and this one to keep the tragedy fresh in our minds and remind us what we're fighting for and against.

Third: A Marine sergeant implicated in the Haditha killings claims that his team was following Rules of Engagement and that the killings were an accidental tragedy. This story has also been flushed down the mediocracy memory hole, deemed by the self-styled elite as of no worth to either news seekers or the truth about the war on terror.

Haditha, a relatively sparsely populated area compared to the likes of Ramadi, Fallujah, and Baghdad, is disproportionally a hotbed of insurgent activity. Last summer within about a one-week period, a six-man Marine observation post team was captured and killed by local insurgents, and 14 Marines were killed when their vehicle passed over an enormous roadside bomb. Patrolling troops even today are nearly as likely as not in the Haditha area to be engaged by the insurgency, whether by small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades, or roadside bombs. It is also not hard to guess that average Haditha residents might be afraid to tell an accurate story of what occurred last November.

When taken into context, one can see how a house-to-house search following the violent death of a fellow marine might have turned into accidental tragedy. The mediocracy will not countenance this as a possibility, though. They have their mind made up. After all, they can quote several democrats (13 at last count, according to recent Congressional voting) to further their personal interests in removing coalition troops from Iraq.

Pending the outcome of the trial, let me say that if the Marines are found guilty, they should be punished. Even in war, Americans should act with class and dignity. I do not think, however, that the outcome will prove the historical facts to be anywhere nearly as bad as the media and John Murtha are painting them to be. It will be interesting, at that point in time, to see what sort of gyrations the mediocracy will go through to avoid having to apologize for its baseless innuendo.

6 comments:

Frank, I took a look at that article from the "media research center" and it was mostly about tv news. Anyone who relies solely, or mostly on tv for their information is a moron, or will become a moron if they weren't already.

My main news sources are The New York Times, CNN, and articles from newspapers around the world that different people forward to me, plus different specialized websites and blogs. I realize most people don't have time for all this, but I don't think it's fair to blame the "media" when you are talking about dumb people watching tv and believing whatever they hear.

I can't remember where I read it Frank, maybe it was HotAir, that some pretty damning videotape evidence came out of the Haditha probe and it looks like the Marines were acting in a manner far from, "cold-blooded killing". Let me see if I can find it. http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/6/25/173358.shtml?s=lh It sounds like the insurgents used the civillians as bait, sadly. Still, I agree, they should be punished if found guilty, but it doesn't sound like it here.

You're right. The media's not all bad, but TV definitely is the worst of the bunch. I may have mentioned it before, but I'm frustrated sometimes that so many newspapers and other outlets just relay what AP, UPI, or Reuters tells them is happening. A lot of these outlets provide very little added value.

I'm a lot like you. I get my news from various internet sites, including blogs, and including the NY Times occasionally.

Matt,

Your link was cut off in the comment section, but I did do a search on Newsmax for "Haditha" and found a ton of interesting stuff. I'll have to spend a little more time at Newsmax, I think!!

I believe the soldiers accused of these crimes still are considered innocent until proven guilty. I just read Warlord: No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy by Ilario Pantano. He was a marine accused of premeditated murder of two Iraqi terrorists. He cleared his name. The book has the actual transcript from the pre-trial. After reading the book, it amazes me of the waste of time and money spent on this due to the shoddy inept investigation into the allegations. It's a great read and I highly recommend it. But it proves the point Innocent until PROVEN guilty!

I've been interested in reading "Warlord" since I heard the story recently.

A Marine friend of mine is part of the JAG at Camp Pendleton and will likely be deeply involved in the trials. It's good to know that he's a man with great integrity and that he'll ensure that fairness will prevail.

I agree with you that much claim toward guilt has been placed on these men before they have had their trials, and this is wrong!